Did you know there are several easy and simple ways of changing up your diet right now? These things will give a bit of an edge on reaching your health goals faster. Swapping out certain ingredients for healthier alternatives can make a big difference in your overall nutrition. Below is a list of some of our favorite food swaps to benefit health!
What Are the Benefits of Simple Food Swaps?
Small decisions around food choices can make a big difference to your health in the long term. Healthy food swaps are simple changes you can make to your diet to replace less healthy food with more nutritious food.
Whether you’re trying to lose weight, reduce your blood pressure or cholesterol, or just eat more healthily, food swaps can help to support your health goals.
Simple Food Swaps to Help you Reach your Health Goals Faster
Swap with Dark Leafy Greens
Switch all iceberg lettuce for any dark green leafy vegetable like spinach, arugula, kale, Swiss chard or collard greens, which are excellent sources of vitamins A and C. Spinach is my favorite because it is high in iron and magnesium. Kale is another great one too if you can handle the taste.
Switch anything and everything you make with iceberg lettuce for leaf-like spinach and you will automatically be upping your fiber and vitamin and mineral intake. Put it on sandwiches, base of salads, in stir-fry dishes, on burgers, or shredded spinach on tacos. There are countless ways to use it!
Swap Sour Cream for Greek Yogurt
Using plain nonfat or low fat Greek yogurt as a food swap instead of sour cream in recipes such as dips, sauces, dressings, and baked goods. Sour cream is typically full of saturated fat. On the other hand, Greek yogurt is full of probiotics and other important vitamins and minerals. Be sure to get the plain kind, it tastes the most like sour cream and does not have any added sugars.
You can usually substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream in a 1:1 ratio. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of sour cream, you can use 1 cup of Greek yogurt instead. Greek yogurt tends to be slightly thicker than sour cream, so depending on the recipe, you might notice a slight difference in texture. However, for most dishes, the difference is minimal. We love this brand!
Swap Sugar for Maple Syrup
We love swapping maple syrup or honey instead of regular table sugar in baking recipes. This simple trick can keep your blood sugar from spiking like it would with sugar. This is better for your body and digestive system. By making this swap, you’ll be adding a natural sweetness and depth of flavor to your dishes while potentially increasing their nutritional value.
Typically, you can substitute maple syrup or honey for granulated sugar using a 1:1 ratio. However, keep in mind that maple syrup is a liquid, so you may need to adjust the amount of other liquids in your recipe to maintain the desired consistency. We love this type of maple syrup and this brand of honey.
Replace Refined Grains with Whole Grains
When whole grains are refined, their husk and germ are stripped away, along with much of the fiber and nutrition. Whole grains are higher in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants compared to refined grains. They also have a lower glycemic index, which means they can help stabilize blood sugar levels and keep you feeling fuller for longer.
Instead of white rice, choose brown rice, quinoa or barley. Choose whole grain bread versus white bread. The first ingredient should be a “whole” grain, or look for the “whole grain” stamp on the package.
Replace Canola Oil with Applesauce
Instead of making brownies, cakes and banana bread with canola oil, use applesauce as your food swap. In addition to reducing fat and calories, it also reduces inflammation in the body. Since applesauce is naturally sweet, you may want to reduce the amount of added sugar in your recipe, especially if you’re substituting in sweet recipes. Typically, you can substitute applesauce for oil in a 1:1 ratio. For instance, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of oil, you can replace it with 1 cup of applesauce.
Choose natural, unsweetened applesauce with no added sugar. Replace all or part of the oil in the recipe with an equal amount of applesauce. We love this brand!
Replace Sugary Breakfast Cereal with Steel-Cut Oats
Because many boxed cereals are made with refined grains, they are often low in fiber and very high in sugar, as well as artificial colors. Switch to oatmeal and significantly increase your fiber intake. Steel-cut oats are higher in fiber than instant oats, so they cause insulin levels to rise more slowly, which is important for blood glucose management.
Save time in the morning by preparing several servings of steel-cut oats ahead of time as overnight oats. Store in the refrigerator for a quick and filling breakfast. Add a handful of almonds or walnuts, protein powder, greek yogurt or peanut butter for added protein. We love to use these containers for our oats!
Replace Cheese with Avocados
Using avocados instead of cheese on sandwiches can enhance the vitamins and minerals in your meal. Avocados are also filled of satiating fiber to keep you nice and full for hours. avocados are rich in vitamin E, an essential fatty acid and antioxidant. Vitamin E is extremely important for our immune system and eyes. You will still get the creamy texture of cheese without all the extra sodium and cholesterol.
Have toast in the morning with avocado spread and an egg on top with some seasoning for a filling breakfast. Try putting avocado in your salad or breakfast burrito instead of cheese. Although avocados are high in fat, they are high in the good kind of fat, the one that will help to reduce your blood cholesterol, including your LDL and VLDL numbers.
Meal Planning!
Did you love these healthy food swaps listed above but want more? Get your personalized meal plan to enhance your lifestyle. By collaborating and meal planning with your dietitian, you will achieve optimal results!
Did you know that people who meal plan are more likely to have an overall higher quality food variety? Anderson’s Nutrition has a robust meal planning program to assist you on your journey to simpler, better health. Meet virtually with your own dietitian to receive nutrition guidance and a personalized meal plan.
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Love these switches. They are so easy to incorporate into daily life
Glad you liked them!